Easier way to do exposure step tests?

Gregory W Blank wrote:

In article ,
(Jed Savage) wrote:

Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure? If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?

Called a step wedge.

Go here http://www.stouffer.net/

Get a 21 step wedge. If your doing real darkroom work as opposed
to computer futzing a real step wedge is the best bet.

Of course, you can also use a step wedge and photoshop to
tell just how crappy your scanner's signal to noise ratio/
Dmax is so when you scan all your fine prints for even
crappier inkjet output you can fantasize they have a
superior tonal relationship...

"Jed Savage" wrote in message
om...
Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper [...]

What do you find daunting about making test strips?

BTW - consider using F-Stop timing/metrics regardless of whether you go with
some gadget or not.

(Jed Savage) wrote in message . com...
Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure? If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?

Kodak Projection Print Scale

"Jed Savage" wrote in message
om...
Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure? If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?

You may be talking about the Kodak Projection Print Scale. I don't know if
they are still available; last time I saw one was in high school (1970's--
no comments, please!). The teacher showed it to us, explained how it worked,
and told us he would personnally keep the ass of anyone using one of them!

The device is/was clear, about 5"x7", with a 10 or 12 slice "pizza". Each
slice was a bit more dense than the last one, with the exposure seconds
indicated. The device was placed over the printing paper and exposed with
your neg for one minute. After developing, you determined which slice looked
best, read off the exposure, and that was your starting exposure.

Pros: neat, clean, no thought required.
Con: the slices were so small that each one only showed the exposure for a
bit of your neg.

If I were given one of them, I would probably hang it on the wall as a
curiosity. Using a half or quarter sheet of printing paper and a piece of
black paper gives me much more flexibility. I can place the test print at
the area of interest, and expose it to times that suit the needs of the neg
in use.

(For anyone who doesn't know what a test print is: Set up your enlarger with
the neg in place. Put a sheet of photo paper on the easel. Cover all but 1/5
with an opaque card, expose for 5 seconds, uncover another 1/5, expose for 5
more seconds, uncover another 1/5, expose... Develope normally. You now have
a print with 5 different exposures. Pick the best one and go to it!)

Ken Hart

Tom Phillips wrote in message ...
Jed Savage wrote:

Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure?

Correct exposure for what? Making prints? No such thing as
"correct exposure" (i.e., a standard exposure.) Base
exposure varies from film to film and paper to paper.

Correct exposure for making prints, which I understand is subjective.

If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?

I'd suggest a real step wedge for sensitometric applications.
Don't really understand all this fascination with doing basic,
simple darkroom stuff with a computer and printer. Waste of
(much) excess time..

It would just be easier to run one 20 second exposure with a 20-step
scale. I'll check into the wedge, I just wasn't sure what is was
called. Thanks!

(Jed Savage)

Position your film strip in the carrier so that the
clear area twixt two frames is centered.
Make a three exposure test strip then process. Evaluate
that clear area. Your exposures should be such that one of
them produces as black a black as you will care for in any
of the adjoining frames.
If you are experienced and/or lucky the first test will
tell. The method is called, minimum exposure for maximum
black. After that it is one's subjective view of the
print which determines the best exposure. Dan

Jed Savage wrote:

Tom Phillips wrote in message ...
Jed Savage wrote:

Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure?

Correct exposure for what? Making prints? No such thing as
"correct exposure" (i.e., a standard exposure.) Base
exposure varies from film to film and paper to paper.

Correct exposure for making prints, which I understand is subjective.

Well, it's subjective, but a _base_ exposure is easily
arrived at. Simply take an unexposed but developed
piece of film, cut a hole in it, and print until you
can't tell the difference between the black of the hole
and the black of the unexposed negative fb+f. This
provides a base maximum black.

This is the base exposure for that film/paper, which
varies for different film/paper combinations. In actual
practice I ignore it. My exposures are according to
the tonal values I want, which is completely subjective.
A print made to "correct" exposure may be technically
correct, but usually quite a boring print ;-)

If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?

I'd suggest a real step wedge for sensitometric applications.
Don't really understand all this fascination with doing basic,
simple darkroom stuff with a computer and printer. Waste of
(much) excess time..

It would just be easier to run one 20 second exposure with a 20-step
scale. I'll check into the wedge, I just wasn't sure what is was
called. Thanks!

Typical step wedges (also called step tablets) are 21
steps, each step aproximately 1/2 stop difference in
density. You can print a step tablet (correctly exposed
and developed on the _film_ you're using.) This can be
used to draw a paper curve/see which contrast grade or
filtered paper best suits your normal contrast negative.

A good book on these methods is Phil Davis' Beyond the
Zone System.

"Ken Hart" wrote in message
...
[...]
(For anyone who doesn't know what a test print is: [...]

Well, that's one way, but it makes a lot of sense to make (for example) 5
strips so that you can place the strip over an area that represents the
whole scene - then expose each entire strip using F-Stop times instead of
linear times.

Jed Savage wrote:

Tom Phillips wrote in message ...


Jed Savage wrote:


Are there clear test strips with varying opacity that I can lay over
my paper and expose only once yet be able to calculate correct
exposure?


Correct exposure for what? Making prints? No such thing as
"correct exposure" (i.e., a standard exposure.) Base
exposure varies from film to film and paper to paper.



Correct exposure for making prints, which I understand is subjective.



If so what are they called and where can I get one... if
not, would it be possible to make such a thing? Perhaps by printing
on a transparancy using an inkjet?


I'd suggest a real step wedge for sensitometric applications.
Don't really understand all this fascination with doing basic,
simple darkroom stuff with a computer and printer. Waste of
(much) excess time..



It would just be easier to run one 20 second exposure with a 20-step
scale. I'll check into the wedge, I just wasn't sure what is was
called. Thanks!


It's not a waste of time to find out the density range of printing paper
by using a step density wedge. Look at www.stouffer.com (IIRC) . 21
steps of 0.15 density are a bountiful sufficiency for the task, and it
need not be calibrated. One test of each grade of paper in each
developer will tell you what density range of negative will "fit", but
you may be tempted to buy a densitometer.